The Singapore Whisky Blog

Sunday, August 28, 2011

It's been a while since we reviewed a whisky out of the stronghold of Scotland, but today, let's have a look at two whiskies from a distillery much closer to home. Unfortunately, these are nearly impossible to find, but you can get a dram or two in Singapore, if you are lucky.

The whisky in question is from Taiwan, and is starting to make some real waves in the whisky world with a string of stellar releases. The distillery of course is Kavalan, located in the town of Yi-lan, which is just a short drive away from Taipei. The parent company of Kavalan, the King Car group, was founded in 1956, but the first whisky from the distillery was only bottled in 2008, meaning the distillery was only probably set up during the new millennium. What has followed has been a success story that has well and truly announced Kavalan on the world whisky stage. Its accolades include top grades from Jim Murray's Whisky Bible in 2011 (95pts for the Fino Sherry expression), 5 silver awards in the 2010 Malt Maniacs Awards (including the 2010 Best Sherry Cask award for the Kavalan Solist (58.2%) in the Premium Category) and a Gold medal in the San Francisco Spirits Awards 2010. In essence, accolades like that vindicate Kavalan's rising prominence.

The two expressions on show today are the Kavalan Standard Single Malt expression, and the Kavalan Solist (58.6%). So let's have a look if these live up to the hype!

The second whisky, sadly is not available in Singapore, but SGwhisky was lucky enough to get a bottle from a mate in Taiwan. This one is the Kavalan Solist, not the same single cask bottling that won the accolades at the Malt Maniacs Awards, but let's see how this one goes.

Finish: Long lasting and very pleasant.Coffee, more dried fruits, warm orange ginger, loads of prune, and chocolate. (22)

Overall: A real winner in my opinion. Complex and pleasant. The only problem is that it is too aggressive without water, it could do with a bit of watering down, though the watering down did affect the richness of the nose (22) 89/100

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

It's been a while and this entry has been slightly overdue with the introduction of the Glen Keith 1965 as one of August's 1965 vintages. Pairing up with the 1965 Glen Keith is another old(ish) whisky from another closed distillery, Glenugie. So here's the low down on the two whiskies...

Name: Glen Keith 1965 Gordon & Macphail Connoisseur's Choice

Distillery: Glen Keith (Speyside)

Type: Single Malt Scotch

Age Statement: Nil

Bottler: Gordon & Macphail

Alc/Vol: 40%

For those who aren't familiar with Glen Keith, it is one of the distilleries in the bustling Speyside region, located near the town of Keith where it gets its name from. Unfortunately for the distillery, it was mothballed by current owners Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard in 1999. This means there is still hope that the distillery may open again, but for now Glen Keith's whiskies will be ever dwindling.

Taste/Palate: Fresh with a hint of malt and cured meat. Then it becomes very oaky and dry with notes of bitterness. (20)

Finish: Intense notes of licorice build up, with a lingering bitterness and slight hints of the fruit coming up again on the finish. The bitterness is a bit too strong though (20)

Overall: A good dram to try out if one wants to know more of Glen Keith, though the bitterness is a bit too strong for me overall (20) 82/100

Found at: Auld Alliance

Now let's turn our attentions to an even more lesser known distillery, Glenugie

Name: Glenugie 33YO

Distillery: Glenugie (Highlands)

Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch

Age Statement: 33YO

Bottle No: 105/577

Vintage: 20/12/1977

Bottler: Signatory Village

Alc/Vol: 58.1%

The distillery of Glenugie has made a name for itself as a hidden and little known gem in the whisky world. Closed in 1983, its history was littered with periods of closure and ownership changes. Nevertheless, the whisky that came out of this distillery has been lauded for its high quality. The quality of the whisky has even led Serge Valentin of Whiskyfun to name Glenugie as one of his highest ranked distilleries. This particular old Glenugie was distilled in 1977, during its last period of operation, and it was actually finished in Oloroso sherry casks for a whopping 84 months! That's a 7 year finishing period, which is extremely long. Let's see how this baby tastes

Saturday, August 20, 2011

For the continuation of this month's whisky of the month segment featuring Bunnahabhain, SGwhisky takes an interesting looking at this Islay distillery's Special Releases (and there have been quite a few!). Released from time to time, these whiskies may be extra aged, finished in special casks or just bottled to commemorate special occasions. For this segment though, SGwhisky will be highlighting 4 special expressions: the 16YO Manzanilla Finish, the 21YO Special Edition, the Bunnahabhain 30YO and the Bunnahabhain 35YO 125th Anniversary Edition.

For those unfamiliar with sherries, manzanilla sherry is a type of sherry produced in Cadiz, in the South of Spain. Manzanilla actually means Camomile in Spanish, the sherry getting this name due to the herbal, floral notes the sherry has that resemble Camomile Tea. Let's see how this one goes!

Taste/Palate: Big and full of flavour. Loads of peat (much more than the standard Bunnahabhains I have tried), and hints of Chinese herbal tea (notes of Ginseng, Luo Han Guo (which is a traditional Chinese herbal fruit called Siraitia grosvenorii)) hints of malt and honey as well (21)

Finish: Distinctly herbal again with more notes of Luo Han Guo and Pi Pa (commonly known as Loquats). Hints of strawberry Pastilles. (21)

Overall: Interesting that it is so herbal. Maybe the idea of Manzanilla was playing on my mind but the herbs were distinctly oriental this time (21) 85/100

This bottling was apparently bottled for the Feis Ile, or Islay Festival of Malt and Music, in 2008. Interesting how Singapore got some of this stock! Due to its rarity, it is very highly priced, more than the standard 25YO expression. Let's see if this baby lives up to the hype

Nose: Fruity and sweet with notes of strawberry sweets, maraschino cherries, lemon drops and a hint of saltiness. Clean and pleasant but quite simple (20)

Taste/Palate: Smoky and semi sweet entry with notes of cocoa and oak, this develops into a very fruity mid palate with loads of strawberries. The smoke continues rolling on with a hint of red fruit tea. (21)

Finish: Long and pleasant ending with notes of sweet fruits like grapes and mango. Creamy notes of vanilla and whipped cream bring up a very nice and decently complex end (22)

Overall: Overall, it is a good whisky but not that flashy. A great ending though (21) 84/100

Found at: Quaich Bar

Now let's get into the really expensive and exclusive zone with the two long aged Bunnahabhains in the Special Editions segment.

Released in 2010 by the distillery, this special edition showcases the older and mature side of Bunnahabhain. Don't let your mind wonder with that very suggestive Triple X, it's just roman numerals!

Nose: Much more gentle than the 16YO and 21YO, with the predominant notes being fresh longan, fresh pear and smoke. A light hint of sherry and salt are present as well (21)

Taste/Palate: Initially very light and subtle, before the fruit comes in in force. Guava, unripe pear, preserved longans, pineapples, apples and a hint of mandarin. Some light peat comes in after that. Develops mid palate into notes of sweet Jasmine Green Tea. (22)

Finish: Pleasant sweetness with a very interesting light smokiness at the back. Orange juice, apples, and some white tea. Very pleasant and enjoyable (22)

Overall: A classy whisky that purrs rather than roars, perfect for a relaxing evening (21) 86/100

Found at: Quaich Bar

Last but not least, here is the Bunnahabhain 35YO, the oldest OB available for Bunnahabhain here in Singapore at the very least!

Released in 2006 to mark the 125th anniversary of Bunnahabhain distillery, this expression has garnered rave reviews from the whisky world, this should be good!

Nose: As this was my 4th whisky in a short span, I was afraid I would get much, but I was wrong. Lovely tropical notes of watermelon, ripe bananas, over-ripe mangos, Rock melon and vanilla. Notes of Condensed milk, Banoffee pie. Brilliant (23)

Taste/Palate: Oaky entry which develops into a rich fruitiness. Light smoke and tea accompany the initially oak, before the fruity notes take over with notes of pears, watermelon, light mango, oranges and banana cream. Light spices like ginger, and some vanilla. Very sophisticated (22)

Finish: Long and lingering just like the 30YO. Pears, sweet oranges, and bananas continue. Pleasant stuff! (22)

Overall: A great overall package which excels in all senses. Definitely worth a try, though it won't come cheap! (22) 89/100

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Today let's have a look at the distillery expressions of two lesser known Speyside distilleries which don't have much coverage here in Singapore. Nevertheless, their presence here is very much encouraging, and let's hope the brands keep on coming! The two brands are anCnoc (Knockdhu) and Diageo workhorse Mannochmore. Both expressions are 12YOs, so this should be an interesting head to head to see if the Speyside 'Style' is present in both.

The distillery of anCnoc or Knockdhu is located in Huntly, Aberdeenshire near the East side of Speyside. As one would notice by now, it goes by the name of Knockdhu. The reason for the change was to avoid confusion with another Whisky Distillery in Scotland, Knockando, also a Speyside distillery. Under the ownership of Inver House, anCnoc saw a re-branding in 2003, so this is the new look whisky coming out of the distillery since the ownership change. Let's see how it fares.

Nose: Pleasant nose with a very classic honey and spice notes. Honey, ginger orange spiciness, apples and some lemon. Little hints of vanilla, malt and eucalyptus as well. Pretty straightforward though (20)

The distillery of Mannochmore is one of Diageo's workhorse distilleries, with most of its whisky production going to the drink behemoth's blends. Interestingly enough, it is also the distillery responsible for what is popularly known as the worst whisky ever produced, Loch Dhu Black Whisky. Its black colour and offensive profile has led Johannes Van Den Heuvel, the leader of the Malt Maniacs, to name it 'Aqua Crematoria'. Thankfully this 12YO Flora and Fauna expression, which was released by Diageo to showcase the 'house style' of its many workhorse distilleries, is very much different in style.

Taste/Palate: Notes of pear continue on entry with (interestingly) a light hint of peat. Oak and light creamy nuttiness as well. It continues with notes of malt and a touch of honey. (20)

Finish: Malty at the end with rich barley sugars and some oak. A pretty simple finish (19)

Overall: All in all this is a very drinkable and pleasant whisky. Nothing too exciting, but this is one that will go down easily when drank amongst friends or on a hot day. (20) 81/100

Found at: Auld Alliance, Quaich Bar

Last but not least, let's add in a bonus! Glengoyne is a distillery whose whiskies I've always wanted to try. Fiercely proud of their traditions like air drying their malted barley (meaning no peat at all!) and using the famous but notoriously low-yielding Golden Promise barley, this distillery should promise much... I hope!

Glengoyne distillery is an interesting distillery due in part to its locality. Located very near Glasgow (which is home to the Lowland distillery Auchentoshan), it is nevertheless classified as a Highland distillery, so their style should maybe be a mix of both? I'm skeptical about classifying all Highland malts under one style, so I'll rather try this with no pre-conceived notions of what it should taste like.

Nose: Full of honey, pear drops and vanilla. Extremely pleasant and rich. These are accompanied with hints of saltiness, oak and the artificial sweetness found in sweets. (21)

Taste/Palate: The fruity, oaky and honied notes continue on the palate with hints of banana, Manuka honey and marmalade. Loads of warm spice like ginger and licorice. Extremely pleasant. (21)

Finish: Creamy and malty with hints of very light white bread, barley and Chinese Malt Candy (麦芽糖 for those who know what this sweet is!) I also get a hint of a light flour candy I ate as a child! Interesting. It's not powerful but it is certainly pleasant (22)

Overall: I really did enjoy this whisky, it's pleasant and is very enjoyable. Definitely worth a try I must say (21) 85/100

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

So yes, on National Day last week SGwhisky took some time off those bottles to catch up on another hobby, photography. It was Rag Day for the National University of Singapore, and it was always good to have a chance to grab some nice shots. This year it was at the Promontory, near the Marina Bay Financial Centre, so it's central locality meant one thing... Proximity to whisky establishments! So after quite a bit of shooting, which yielded nice pictures like the one above, where better to go than to the establishment nearest to Marina Bay itself, The Connoisseur Emporium for a taste of an interesting Bowmore.

This independent Bowmore from Duncan Taylor was one that Heru, the Manager of The Connoisseur Emporium, has been raving about. Bottled at a healthy strength of 51.3% and an older age than most of the official Bowmores today, it should be a really interesting dram.

Nose: Great complex nose. Creamy and fruity with notes of Strawberries and cream, peach jam, icing sugar and a hint of peat. Notes of Strawberry cream cake as well. If one nitpicks, one can say that it is pretty much mainly sweet notes but this is overall a very pleasant and enjoyable nose. (23)

Taste/Palate: Very rich and sweet with notes of simple syrup, honey and caster sugar. Notes of raspberries and bananas bring up a very fruity note too with hints of oakiness and cream as well. (22)

Finish: Oaky, drying and overall rather graceful with a syrupy sweetness lingering. Despite this, it is slightly underwhelming. (21)

Overall: The balance of the whisky in general suffers due to the slightly underwhelming finish but the nose and the palate are really good and enjoyable. I would recommend this! (22) 88/100

Monday, August 15, 2011

Oh boy I love it when I see such a line on bottles in Singapore, it fills me with pride:) And now that we are in August, why not share some 1965 joy! Trying a special Strathisla bottled for Singapore's market by Gordon & Macphail is about one of the best things to do for the month of August, and this was what SGwhisky was lucky enough to get to do courtesy of the good people at Fine Spirits At La Maison Du Whisky, who is the retailer behind this bottling. A very old Strathisla cask which was bottled just shy of its 46th birthday, let us see how this compares to other big old sherry expressions...

Taste/Palate: Mild sweet entry builds up to a mid palate crescendo of pear, apple and more vibrant fresh fruit notes like berries. Some spice, dusted sugar before mellowing down to some stewed fruit (23)

Finish: Sugary with notes of dusted icing sugar and burnt sugar. Hints of fruit still remain, but in general, just very pleasant and long lasting. (22)

Overall: A nice whisky in general, very pleasant and appealing, definitely worth a try! (23) 90/100

Saturday, August 13, 2011

In the euphoria of National Day week, SGwhisky will be starting our three part series of the August segment of the whisky of the month by highlighting what is now the 'Old' Range of Bunnahabhain whiskies. Earlier this year, Burn Stewart, owners of Bunnahabhain, unveiled a revamp to their brands, and that included Bunnahabhain. The revamp of the brands involved are largely bottled now at a healthier 46% abv, but at the moment, the older expressions (bottled at around 40-43%) are still widely available in the Singapore market. So for those trying these older bottlings of Bunnahabhain, here is the low down of their core range!

One of the most popular expressions of Bunnahabhain in Singapore, the 18YO is slightly stronger and also richer in flavour. Definitely worth a try!

Nose: Much more refined and rich, with the saltiness still around, but mixed with more sweetness, loads of winey notes and a pleasant winey sweetness. Some faint floral notes with gum drops, raisins again and vanilla (21)

The older aged Bunnahabhain is far more pricey and comes in a nice smart wooden box. Let's see how this one goes.

Name: Very winey and sweet. Less saltiness, more fruity notes along the lines of preserved plums, cooked apples, grapes, some floral honey and barley. A bit too sweet though. (21)

Taste/Palate: Very spicy and buttery. Sweet notes of barley sugar and some light cream. But there is an overwhelming stale river fish note. Like stale water... That note just does not go away for me... (19)

Finish: A slightly more roasted nuttiness, buttered nuts, malt and a hint of smokiness (21)

Overall: Some depth, very interesting, but the off note hampers it immensely (21) 82/100

Whisky Education

The Archive

About Us

SGwhisky is a Singapore-based website aimed at being a one-stop site for all those looking for whisky in Singapore. Be it the latest events, places to drink or reviews of great whiskies in Singapore, SGwhisky covers it all. So sit back and enjoy all Singapore has to offer! Slainte!

Email

Here at sgwhisky, we value your feedback, if you have any queries please feel free to email us at:ben@sgwhisky.com

OR

sgwhisky@gmail.com

Like On Facebook

World Whisky Sites

Disclaimer

The contents of this blog are the personal opinion of the writers here at SGwhisky. It is in no way influenced by anyone else. SGwhisky prides itself at being an independent, in depth site for whisky in Singapore

The contents of this blog, be it articles, reviews and photographs, are the intellectual property of SGwhisky. Any information taken from this website in whole or in part must be properly credited.

Lastly, SGwhisky supports responsible drinking habits. Please avoid drinking if you have any existing health conditions that can be aggravated by alcohol consumption, and please do not drink and drive.